Batman #655-666

Batman #655-666

Originally released in 2006

Written by Grant Morrison (#655-658, 663-666), John Ostrander (#659-662)

Art by Andy Kubert (#655-658, 664-666), Tom Mandrake (#659-662), John Van Fleet (#663)

The start of Grant Morrison's run introduces a new Robin in the form of Damian Wayne, the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul conceived after a shared night of passion.  At least, that's how Talia remembers it - Bruce remembers a very different and much more disturbing version of those events.

From what I recall, Damian was not a popular character when he was first introduced, and I can quickly see why that would be the case.  At his core, he's a kid who's desperate to please his father, but as he was raised in the League of Assassins, his problem-solving skills are lacking.  When encountering C-list villain The Spook, he jumps straight to murder, but also, shortly after meeting Tim Drake, he attempts to beat him up or possibly even kill him in order to prove to Bruce that he would be a better Robin. (Bruce was out on patrol at the time; if it was attempted murder, Tim survives)

Worst of all, he swears at Alfred, so I can see why it took a while for him to grow on people. (obviously, the murder and possible attempted murder are much worse, though there's no reason for him to treat Alfred like that)

Bruce tries his best to help Damian, putting it in terms that he would understand.  When Damian throws a temper tantrum, Bruce tells him that Damian is dishonouring his teachers by acting in this way, and he pretty effectively sums up why his choice not to kill is the more challenging path to take than any of Damian's assassin training.

Bruce's time as Batman has gotten so predictable that he seems to find the appearance of a team of ninja Man-Bats (Men-Bats?) to be almost routine, though he's almost forgotten how to be Bruce Wayne.  The ninja Man-Bats attack an art gallery showing comic book-inspired art, leading to some fun little sight gags.

Damian's mother, Talia, is behind the Man-Bat army, and she wants Bruce to join her, pooling their resources to rid the world of crime.  Given that Talia's methods are generally fatal, and she kidnapped the wife of the British prime minister, Bruce is decidedly against a team-up regardless of how they feel about each other. (Damian, on the other hand, just wants them to be together as a family)

By issue 666, it even seemingly establishes that Damian will become Batman in the future, which likely didn't help to endear him to the audience. (introducing a brand new character only to establish less than a year after their introduction that they'll take on the protagonist's mantle seems like a risky move at the best of times, and Damian hasn't built up much goodwill at this point)

There are small bits and pieces in this issue that show how he will likely develop in the future - he has a cat named Alfred, and he admits that he would never be as good as Bruce or Dick were in the role of Batman, so it's clear that he grows to respect the three of them at some point. (the jury's still out on if he ever comes to respect Tim Drake)

Bruce also encounters something out of his "black casebook", which is described as cases too bizarre for his usual fare. (time travel, Bat-Mite, the time where Batman wore a different rainbow-coloured costume every night to distract everyone from the fact that Robin had a broken arm...)  Alfred dismissed those cases as hallucinations brought on by prolonged exposure to the Joker's or Scarecrow's trademark gases, though it seems like Morrison wants to acknowledge every aspect of Batman's history, including the bizarre Silver Age material. (also, I should read more of the bizarre Silver Age material)

In this case, it's a trio of twisted Batmen - one armed with a gun (who shoots the Joker in the face in the first issue - naturally, the Joker survives, and Batman's reaction to finding that out is hilarious), an ex-cop who's hooked on Venom (the steroid that turns Bane into a tower of muscle), and a third one who will supposedly drag Gotham into hell.  Damian encounters the third one in issue 666, though it's unclear if this hellish Batman copycat will return in the present day.

There's also a set of issues by John Ostrander, introducing a disfigured new villain who goes by the name Grotesk.  This story seems fairly inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, though the shots of Gotham in the middle of winter, and the set pieces that Batman goes through, are great.

There's also a prose story by Grant Morrison, which was seemingly released in this form because the after-effects of the Joker's new toxin would likely be too disturbing to show in comic form while still keeping the age rating.  In it, the Joker reinvents himself after his shooting, treating each stage of his life like a form of artistic expression.

Morrison's run feels like a very slow burn so far.  I'm enjoying it, and I can see potential, but it feels like it's taking a while for anything to happen.  I'm interested to see how this will turn out, and I'm curious to see how Morrison will introduce new villains or reinvent old ones, or how they will use Dick Grayson and Tim Drake. (who haven't gotten much to do at this point)  I have a rough idea what happens next (mainly what comes after the Grant Morrison-written Final Crisis), though only in broad strokes, so I'm curious about how this will all turn out.